Behrampore, Oct. 23: Alarmed at increasing polio cases in Muslim-dominated Murshidabad, health officials have decided to hold a meeting with representatives of the community on Saturday to discuss measures for spreading awareness about the need for polio vaccination.

Senior officials, including director of health services Prabhakar Chatterjee and health commissioner P.S. Kahlon, are expected to attend the meeting. Panchayat pradhans and representatives of NGOs will also be present. Before involving state-level officials, the district health administration had held a similar meeting on October 16.

Chief medical officer, health, Bijon Kumar Mondal said a large number of maulvis have been invited to Saturday’s meeting at the circuit house.

“The main purpose of the meeting is to tell them that they should convince the people of their community that polio vaccination is scientific and explain to them the need for polio vaccination,” said another district health official.

A four-day awareness campaign has also been lined up from November 17 to motivate people to join the drive against the crippling disease.

“An intensive campaign against the dreaded disease is the only way to reduce polio cases in the district,” said a senior health official in the district.